Connect with state officials on Older Michiganians Day

Today is Older Michiganians Day!  Older adults from across Michigan will gather today at the State Capitol, where AARP continues to advocate for access to quality, affordable health care; financial security; and age-friendly communities in which to live. 

To help ensure that our presence is felt, please connect with your state elected officials today by phone or email to make your voice heard on these important issues for older adults and people with disabilities in Michigan:

• HB 4328, the “omnibus” FY2014 state budget bill, passed the House last week and is expected to pass the Senate this week.  It includes a 6% increase in funding for MI Choice, an additional $500,000 for senior meals, and an additional $15 million for PACE services, which is good news!  Please let your legislators know that you support continued efforts to rebalance Michigan’s long term care system to provide a greater proportion of long term care through Home & Community Based Services (HCBS), rather than in institutional settings.
• Please let your legislators know that you support Medicaid Expansion, which would let uninsured low-income residents up to age 64 receive health coverage under Medicaid. This would both reduce the number of uninsured Michigan residents by 46% and save the state millions of dollars. This issue is particularly important to people who are over age 50 but too young for Medicare.  Older adults are particularly vulnerable to deterioration in function and health status if they don’t have health coverage, and that increases their need for more costly health care and long term care in the future. 
• Please let your legislators know that you support Senate Bill 2, which would let Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) in Michigan use the full scope of their training and education to treat patients. SB 2 would help increase access to health care, particularly in underserved areas where there is a lack of available physicians. 

You can find your State Representative’s contact information by clicking here: http://house.michigan.gov/mhrpublic/

You can find your State Senator’s contact information by clicking here:  http://www.senate.michigan.gov/fysenator/fysenator.htm

Thank you from the AARP Michigan State Office and the Area Agencies on Aging of Michigan for your continued advocacy.